I am a partner with over forty years post qualification experience having qualified as a Solicitor in 1980. I joined Butcher & Barlow in 2014, assisting Jonathan Aldersley in opening and developing the Agricultural and Commercial office at Gadbrook Park, Northwich where I remain based. For ten years I headed the Agricultural and Rural Affairs Department, which has been listed in Tier 1 of The Legal 500 for many years. I have been named as a Leading Individual by The Legal 500 for the past four years and entered the Hall of Fame last year, the only such individual for Agriculture and Estates in Cheshire.
I am now widening my horizons and assisting the Agricultural, Commercial, and Private Client departments with Business Development and in an Advisory Capacity. I continue to pride myself on giving up to date straightforward advice, no matter how complex the clients problems or issues.
I provide a monthly column in Farmart magazine produced for the farming community and am available to give talks to discussion groups. I was educated at Sandbach School, Warwick University and the University of Law, Chester (formerly Christleton College of Law). I have an honours degree from Warwick University and obtained a Distinction in Conveyancing and Property Law from the University of Law.
I am available to give advice upon: –
- High value Residential and Agricultural Property
- Agricultural Holding Act and Farm Business Tenancies
- Succession Planning and Inheritance Tax Mitigation
- Business Structures: Partnerships and Limited Company’s
- Estate Administration including Deeds of Variation
I have a personal interest in: –
- Mines and Minerals Options
- Overage Agreements (formerly development claw back clauses)
- First Registrations and Land Title Issues
Had I remained in the farming industry, I would have been a 17 generation Cheshire Dairy Farmer. I remain involved in the family farm and I have detailed practical knowledge of all farming practices.
Client testimonials in the Legal 500 include: –
“We have a great deal of faith in his judgement.”
“Strong on planning for agricultural clients.”
“Explains complex procedures in a way which makes them easily understood.”
I am a member of the Country Landowners Association, Tenants Farmers Association, BASC, and maintain close links with the farming and rural communities. My relations continue to farm locally, my daughter is a vet and my son an accountant with a top 10 private practice. I am involved in the local community, being a member of Smallwood Parish Council, Trustee of Smallwood Burial Ground, and a member of the Old Sandbachians Committee.
I enjoy all forms of rural pursuits and have an interest in both classic tractors and cars (owning both). I enjoy motoring in Europe with my wife Diane Mooney, a retired commercial property lawyer, and watching Formula 1 and Tennis , and off road I am particularly fond of French Red Wine
